Age of Innocence
by Biowolf72
Summary: Jack is shocked when an old friend lands on his doorstep. Torchwood face their sickest fight yet. How will they fair when time is not on their side? Please read and review. Thanks for the reviews. Let me know what you think of the updates.
1. Age of Innocence Chapter 1

Torchwood

The twenty first century is when everything is meant to change. Max had just managed to make it through the rift. However she had brought something with her, a creature that had been hunting her through time and space. In another time she would have been able to handle such a creature, but time had taken its toll and she was exhausted. Even on the roof overlooking Cardiff she could not comprehend what was happening to her. The lights twinkled against the darkness that night had brought onto the city. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as her senses kicked in telling her that whatever was hunting her was near.

She unclipped the rope from her pack and attached it onto the ventilation box that was situated in the middle of the roof. She was minutes away from being attacked and she had once chance to make it to the ground alive. She clipped the rope to her belt and looked towards the edge of the roof. Max could hear her heart beating in her ears as her feet pounded across the loose stones and towards the edge. At the last second she jumped. The comforting sound of the nylon scraping along the metal of her belt. The ground was getting closer, so fast; she was feet from the ground when the tension of the rope gave way. She landed on the ground and rolled into a crouch. Looking up towards the roof she saw the frayed end of the rope hurtling towards the ground. The creature had sliced through, it was certainly hell bent on killing her tonight. She ran, as fast as her legs would take her. Cars blared their horns at her as she ran in front of them, the smell of the exhaust fumes growing in her nostrils. The tears stung her eyes as she ran, how could it have come to this? She had been strong once, so strong that no beast would have stood a chance against her. Now she was running from what she had once hunted. She had not come here for an escape; she had come here to fulfill another task. A promise she had made a long time from now she had to keep.

Max walked into the alleyway, her breathing was laboured, her body weakening. The creature was merely feet behind her now, she turned towards it. It stood about seven feet tall, its scale like body glistening in the lights. Huge brown eyes looked at her, the soft clicking sound echoed down the alleyway towards her, the time had come. Her arms were positioned by her side; she had no weapon, no hope. What she had learned disgusted her, terrified her, and sickened her. She didn't have time to react before the creature was on her, its tongue running slowly up the nape of her neck. Her eyes closed as she felt the liquid enter into her blood stream, the searing heat that followed signaling the infection moving through her veins. The bright lights filled the alleyway as she waited for death, the creature's arms around her, not violently, but as a lover would. The sound of footsteps filled the alleyway, a familiar voice filling the air. She hit the ground hard as she creature leaped up towards the roof.

"Gwen, Ianto, Tosh get after that thing…Owen get over here!"

Jack moved towards the injured female, when he turned her over the colour drained from his face,

"M-Max?"

Owen looked towards the woman and then to Jack

"You know her?"

Jack nodded as Owen went to work

"Her vital signs are weak…she's fading fast"

Jack glared at him

"Do whatever you can…no holds barred!"

He wrapped his arms around her shoulders holding her up, Max gripped his arm, small beads of sweat had formed on her head.

"I'd…I'd heard you were here…"

Jack shook his head, although he could not believe what he was seeing, it kicked in memories that he had buried a long time ago.

"Shh…you just concentrate on staying alive ok?"

Owen glanced at Jack, a look at the said the prognosis wasn't good. Owen removed the stethoscope and draped it around his neck, removing a syringe he filled it with adrenaline  
"This should keep her alive long enough to get her back to the hub"

Jack nodded before bringing his arm under Max's knees, he lifted her carefully and held her close. Owen packed up his gear heading over to the car.

Gwen aimed her gun ahead of her as she made her way across the roof. Ianto was behind her, Tosh checking the readings on her PDA.

"It's six hundred feet south and moving fast…there's no way we are going to catch it now…"

Gwen moved forward quickly, she knew this thing needed to be caught. Ianto aimed his gun and pivoted on his feet. Tosh's warning came seconds before the thing moved out

"There's two of them!"

The other swiped Iantos gun from his hand. Gwen was on it in seconds, she fired towards the creature, its screams filled the night air as it fell. Ianto looked towards Gwen

"Thank you"

Gwen nodded before moving over to the creature. Tapping the Bluetooth headset in her ear she spoke normally

"Jack, we got one of them…"

Jack spoke urgently

"What do you mean one of them?"

"There were two of them"

Jack growled

"Great…get it back to the hub…and be quick about it".

Gwen clicked off and looked to Ianto and Tosh

"We need to get it back to the hub".

Less than an hour later, Max was laying in the hub on a bed Owen had set up for her. Jack sat by her side, his hand holding hers. She had not changed a bit since he had last seen her. Her red hair was longer, her eyes still piercing blue. He remembered everything about her, how it felt to hold her, the softness of her lips on his own. He closed his eyes remembering. He felt her hand tighten in his

"Stop it…you're making me blush"

Jack smiled, his blue eyes looking directly at her

"I should be the one blushing"

Max grinned

"Y-yeah…I think it was both-"

She began coughing, a violent hard cough. Jack was on his feet in a second, he leaned over her

"Easy Max…take a deep breath ok?"

A few minutes passed before the coughing fit had ended. Jack lay her gently down, having held her in his arms tightly. Max looked at him,

"Next question…what the hell am I doing here right?"

Jack nodded, he had been waiting to ask the question but he needed to know what was going on.

"It's a long story, and being attacked by that thing wasn't what I expected".

Gwen watched from afar as Jack sat with the girl. Her right hand found the ring on her finger, her finger slid over the metal. Marriage still had not prevented her from being jealous when Jack was with someone else. Although it was something she would have to get used to it was not easy.

"So who do you think she is?"

Tosh question was one that each one of them had wanted to ask, but had not had the mind to. No one could even hazard a guess to who the young woman was, or what connection she had to Jack. Ianto spoke up, breaking the awkward silence

"None of us know what Jack has been up to while he was gone, could be she has something to do with that".

They each nodded…all of them wanting answers…but none of them willing to go in and get them.


	2. Age of Innocence Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The penthouse was situated in one of the richest sections of Cardiff. It overlooked the Bay and had the best view that money could buy. However, it was not the view that was being bought. The female was escorted into the bedroom, the waiting bidder was ready. His suit tailor made for him, his shoes were expensive, they cost more than a small car. His legs were crossed, his eyes on the woman who was now standing before him. She had been dressed in what he had requested. The white chiffon robe was see through and trailed down to the ground. Small ripples moved down the robe as she shook, not from the cold, from fear. The leather clad male who had escorted her in turned on his heels and left the room. The suit stood up, money could certainly buy perfection these days. As he moved over towards her, she did not dare recoil; the sellers would beat her to within an inch of her life if a client was upset. The client reached out his hand, he had to touch her, he bid for over three hours for this. He had paid a five figure sum for one night of sheer pleasure. One simple sweep with his hand and the robe bundled onto the floor at her feet. The client moved on her, his hands moved to her shoulders, he caressed them softly. His brown eyes on her, he was amazed. Her eyes shone like emeralds, he could see the light glistening in them. A sick smirk slid over his lips as his head moved down to her right breast, he suckled roughly on her nipple, enjoying how she tasted.

Tears threatened to sting her eyes as he touched her. How could she be in this situation? Four months ago she had been so happy, her family loved her and they shared such happy times. Now here she was, on a different planet being used and abused by human males. She had to pretend to enjoy it, like they had taught her; she closed her eyes trying to imagine that she was somewhere else. She moaned softly, he suckled harder; it appeared that he enjoyed it. From what she had been told the human males enjoyed it when the females made moaning noises. It was how they seemed to communicate pleasure. She took her mind elsewhere, a thankful gift that her race had put upon her. She could have her body and reactions in one place and yet her mind on another. She took herself back to her home planet, the sun was rising over the trees, and she was on the beach with her family. A blissful day spent playing different games and letting the warm water touch her toes. It did not matter that the male's hands were now on her most private of places; her mind was content where it was. She was torn from her thought as the client threw her roughly onto the four poster bed that was situated behind them. He was on top of her before she had a chance to react; his shirt was unbuttoned, his hands moving to the zip of his trousers. She tried to take her mind back to the beach, but he was so rough. His hands wrapped around her wrists, she was pinned to the bed, his body slammed down onto her own. As he entered her, the searing pain that shot through her stomach caused her to scream in pain. It felt as though her insides were being torn apart as he thrust roughly into her, his weight pinning her down, causing more pain with each thrust. It was over in minutes. She could be thankful for something, she was left laying in agony as the client dressed and left, the leather clad male returned, lifting her from the bed he carried her to the waiting vehicle before taking her back to the compound where she was kept with the others. The pain would go away, but the memory would live on in her mind forever. As she curled up on the bed, she could hear the weeping of the others who were being detained for the same purpose. Her own tears stung her eyes and she felt the wetness roll down her cheek. Tomorrow night they would wait to see who had been chosen and who would have to go through the hell of being used by the humans once more.

She felt his hand in his when she woke up. Max turned her head seeing Jack smiling back at her

"Welcome back"

How long had she been unconscious? What had happened to her? The questions filled her brain and yet the feeling of his hand in hers made her feel secure.

"How long-"

"Five hours…Owen's taken a look at you but he can't find the cause of your condition. What happened Max?"

The fear and concern in Jacks voice was evident as she remembered the creature following her through the rift, then the way it had lifted her, the feeling of its tongue on her neck. She had been weak when she had arrived, now she felt completely drained, as though her energy was being taken from her with each passing second.

"I wish I knew Jack…I was coming through the rift and it was following me. I was so weak I couldn't fight it. It wanted something, it needed something. But when it caught me it didn't hurt me, it licked my neck and then left"

Jack frowned, he had never heard of such a thing. What made the situation more worrying was that none of their equipment was picking up what was making Max so weak. When she had been unconscious, Jack had ordered Owen to perform every test that was possible in order to determine her condition. He was not about to give up on her, this was just the beginning of the fight and he needed answers.

"Why are you hear Max? What made you come through the rift here?"

As she tried to find the words, her weakness grew. He could see her struggle to find breath nevermind answer his questions. It killed him to watch someone he loved go through this, but the answers she had could prove vital in saving her.

"I…It's a long story Jack…a really long story"

"Well…unless you can get out of this bed and walk I don't think you're going anywhere"

Max glanced around

"Where's the rest of your team?"

Jack did not take her eyes off her

"Gone to find out anything they can about what attacked you…it's just you and me here. Don't even try the change the subject trick on me, you know it won't work"

Max smiled softly

"Wouldn't dream of it. It's been a long-"

Jacks lips crushed onto hers, his tongue slowly moving forward past her lips to take possession of her mouth. His mouth covered hers, an ever growing need building up inside her. Even in her weakened state she managed to kiss him back with as much ferocity as he had with her. Her hand moved to his cheek, she could feel the stubble beginning to sneak through. He felt so good, tasted so good. A soft groan escaped her lips

"Jack..."

He lifted his head, looking at her as he had done so many years ago.

"Damnit Max, it's been so long"

"I know"

His hand was still holding hers. She mustered the strength to sit up, Jack moved the pillows behind her ensuring she was comfortable.

"What happened?"

Max took a deep breath, starting from the beginning of her story.

"About three months ago I was contacted by a family whose daughter had gone missing. They had heard about my work and needed my help to find her. She had just disappeared one day, no sign of a struggle and from all accounts she was a normal happy girl who just disappeared off the face of the planet. The more I looked into it, the more I discovered that she wasn't the only one who had gone missing. Turns out that twenty or so of the same race have been going missing over the past year or so".

Jack leaned forward in his chair

"What race?"

Max looked at him

"Lillayean"  
His eyes widened

"What? Are you serious?"

Max nodded

"Yeah. The exact number is twenty three girls. Five of which were taken from a Lillayean temple. When guards entered the temple, they found the alter in pieces, every girl who prayed there was gone. You and I both know that those girls possess great mind altering capabilities, but they would never use them unless given permission to by the priest. Not only that, they are all stunningly beautiful girls who are untouched. It doesn't exactly take a genius to work out why so many have been taken"

He nodded in agreement, anger building up inside him. He spent his life protecting humans from aliens…yet there were times like this when aliens needed protecting from humans. It made him sick, more importantly it made him furious.

Jack looked down towards Max, she looked exhausted. The colour had gone from her cheeks. She was white as a sheet. He brought his hand onto her head, the cold clammy feeling under his palm bringing the stark realization that something was very wrong with her. Max looked at him, her eyes showing concern

"Get some rest. We'll find out what's wrong and you'll be back on your feet in not time"

As her eyes closed, Jack could not help but wonder if she would in fact be ok. If Torchwoods machines could not pick up the cause of her condition, then he had to find something that would.


	3. Age of Innocence Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Gwen, Ianto, Owen and Tosh spent three hours hunting for the second creature that had attacked Max. Each one of them had questions on their mind about the mysterious visitor who seemed to hold a special place in their Commander's heart. Owen had the first creature they killed on his autopsy table, he was itching to get back and perform the autopsy. Gwen sat next to Ianto as he drove

"Do you think she's an old girlfriend?"

Ianto kept his eyes on the road, he was also wondering who the young woman was. Given his relationship with Jack, there was a small niggling feeling that would not go away. Owen spoke up from the back of the car

"Look, we all have to accept that there is a lot we don't know about Jack. This isn't the first time that someone has come along who is really close to Jack and we're left in the dark. So why don't we just stop speculating and get on with our job which is to find out what is wrong with her"

Gwen and Tosh stared at Owen, normally he was the first one to question Jack's motives. Now he seemed to be the one defending him. Since his death he had been acting differently. Everyone had been careful not to mention the change that had taken place with Owen. Tosh was happy, she and Owen were finally together and she was not willing to risk it. She had spent years waiting for Owen to notice her and he finally had.

"I think she seems like a nice girl and if she is that close to Jack then it is important that we try and help her"

No one could argue with that. At the end of the day they had a duty to help Max and they would do it.

Upon their arrival back at the Hub, each one of them had their designated tasks. Owen went down to the autopsy room. Donned in his lab coat and gloves he pulled on his mask. Taking the scalpel he made the first incision and went to work. Gwen and Tosh were going through the Torchwood records for anything that resembled the creature that had attacked Max. Tosh stared at the computer screen

"I think I found something. The swab that was taken from Max neck, according to the readings it comes from a species called croaspis, it seems that they infect their victims by licking their neck. The poison is secreted through the skin and into the blood stream"

Gwen looked at Tosh screen

"How do we stop it?"

Tosh kept her eyes on the screen

"It doesn't say here…but I'm sure if I-"

"We find the other one and get the answers we need from it"

Jack stood on the balcony overlooking the Hub. His hands on his hips he looked at Tosh, Gwen and Ianto.

"We do whatever we can to find this thing. Tosh get on its location. Gwen, try and find anything that we can do to keep Max stable for the moment. Ianto, my office, now"

Gwen and Tosh looked over to Ianto, he was standing a few feet from them with a tray and cups in his hands. He put the tray onto a nearby table and headed over towards the stairs. Jack had already gone into his office and was waiting on Ianto entering.

Ianto walked up the stairs heading towards Jacks office. He pushed the door open and walked in. Jack was sitting at his office, his hands clasped together in front of him

"We have to talk"

Ianto looked at him confused,

"About?"

Jack looked at him

"Max is a very old friend. We worked together a long time ago. She was an agent for an agency whose responsibility it was to take down con men, like me"

Ianto looked surprised

"You were a con man?"

Jack nodded slowly

"Yeah. Max was sent to eliminate me, there was the usual chit chat but when it came to the crunch we couldn't take each other out. I know how it looks but I owe her a lot. She kept me alive and made sure I remained untouched by her agency"

Ianto nodded and walked around the desk, he placed his hand on Jacks shoulder giving it a reassuring squeeze. Jack brought his hand up, he clutched Iantos hand as though it were a lifeline.

"I can't watch her die"

Ianto watched as the back of his hand was brought to Jacks cheek. Ianto wrapped his arm around Jacks shoulder.

"Did she tell you why she was here?"

Jack nodded his head which was leaning against Iantos chest.

"It's a long story. But as soon as she's back on her feet we'll help her with it"

Ianto nodded and held Jack closely.

"We'll help her Jack".

Owen completed his autopsy. Placing what could be a liver into the tray he removed his gloves. Jack and Ianto stood on the balcony overlooking the autopsy room

"Well, it seems that the poison is kept in a sack at the back of the throat. When it is poisoning its victim the sack opens the poison comes up the tongue and is secreted through the skin of the victim. The antidote is different however. Its kept in a pouch in the stomach"

Jack growled

"Great, that makes life a lot much easier"

Owen nodded

"It gets better. The croaspis has to be alive in order for the antidote to work. The second its heart stops the antidote in its stomach becomes useless. Which means if we want Max to live, we have to find the other croaspis and extract the antidote while it's alive"

Jack gripped onto the bar of the balcony, his knuckles white from his grip on it.

"Ok. We find this creature, bring it back alive and extract the antidote"

Owen nodded, given the situation arguing with Jack wouldn't be a good idea at the moment. Jack turned to Ianto,

"Ianto, can you stay with Max? I need to find this thing"

Ianto nodded his head

"Of course" he turned and walked over towards the room where Max was being kept.

Max opened her eyes and looked to Ianto. She moved to sit up and cleared her throat.

"You must be Ianto"

Ianto nodded and smiled

"Pleasure to meet you Max"


	4. Age of Innocence Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Cameron McIvoy could not believe his luck when he was approached for the job. Not only was he making a vast sum of money, he was getting to spend time with gorgeous women whenever he wanted. Well, providing the one he wanted was not with a client at the time. He sat at his desk, his hands clasped behind his head. Life didn't get any better than this. All he had to do was make sure that the clients paid up, and the women did as they were told. Nothing could be better than this, well, almost nothing. Now all he had to do was make sure that the next group of women who were due to arrive did so and safely. The creak of his new leather jacket reminded him of just how much money was riding on this business continuing. The door opened to the office and a man walked in wearing a black suit. His hair was peppered with grey. His eyes almost black, he walked over to Cameron

"Is everything ready for our new girls?"

Cameron brought his feet off the desk and his hands down in front of him

"Yes sir, everything. They should be arriving tomorrow night. Their profiles have been put into our new brochure. We should be seeing some interest in the next few days for them"

Mr Brian Fontaine was a high flyer. He was one of Cardiff's richest men. As he watched Cameron go on about the new girls arriving his own fantasy was taking effect. As owner of the business he got to test the merchandise daily and what merchandise this was. Beautiful exotic women, very exotic indeed. Other countries were far too common for Mr Fontaine. He found his girls from somewhere more further away. Only one other man besides himself knew where the girls were coming from. Cameron was good for certain things, but if he knew where the girls were coming from there was no guarantee that he would keep his mouth shut. Mr Fontaine watched as Cameron switched on the video camera, something caught his eye,

"Wait, rewind that"

Cameron hit the switch on the camera, Mr Fontaine watched as a woman appeared in the distance. The video was of prospective girls who were being recorded. One woman stood out in the background. Brian knew right away that she was not Lillayean, her long red hair was blowing lightly in the breeze. Brian sat down on the edge of the desk, his leg propped up on the chair. Cameron smirked as he watched his boss

"See something you like boss?"

Brian nodded softly

"Yes, that woman there…behind our girls…do we have any idea who she is?"

Cameron squinted as he looked at the screen

"You'll have to talk to David about that one sir. He is the one who takes care of recruiting the girls and he is the one who made the video tape"

Brian nodded

"As soon as he gets back I want him in my office immediately"

David Ryder had emerged from the rift, the seven girls behind him looking around. Each one of them was dressed in white robes, their faces hidden from view. He turned and motioned for them to follow him. They descended down the stairs of the building and outside. Two four by four vehicles were situated at the front of the building, waiting. The soft whimpers of the girls were heard as they were ushered into the cars. David removed the cell phone from his pocket

"We're on our way back. Lift the cloak"

He moved into the car and looked back at the girls

"Silence"

The cars moved forward. David had to get them back to the facility and settled in before their work started in the next few days. Each one of the girls had no idea what they were about to be put through. Ripped from their homes and families, fear was evident in the air as the cars pulled to a stop outside the facility. Each of the girls was ushered out and taken inside. They would be given time to settle in before the bidding war was complete. There were thousands of men situated all over the world who would pay a large sum of money for a night with one of these amazing creatures. Mr Fontaine wanted the best in his business, and it was the best he got. David did not understand why he was ordered into Mr Fontaines office upon his return. He gave Cameron the job of ensuring the girls were taken to their rooms. As he walked down the corridor, David could not help but admire the artifacts on the wall. He knew for a fact that the pieces were not of the earth, but of other worlds far from his own. David knocked on Mr Fontaines door; a voice came from the other side

"Come in"

David entered the huge office. Brian Fontaine was situated behind a vast mahogany desk, a computer on the right hand corner, several framed photographs on the left. The office was littered with alien artifacts, the ones which Brian Fontaine had taken a personal interest in recovering.

"Have a seat David"

David sat down, crossing his legs he looked at Brian who removed a remote from his desk. He clicked it towards the plasma television hooked onto the wall, footage of the women they had brought in several weeks before appeared on the screen.

"Tell me what you see David"

David looked confused, he looked at the screen

"These are the girls we brought in a while back sir…is something wrong with them?"

Brian Fontaine shook his head

"Not at all David. In fact, I am so pleased with the women you have been bringing in I am giving you a raise. Now, if you look behind the girls you will see a woman with red hair"

David looked at the screen, he could see the woman

"Yes sir"

Brian Fontaine nodded

"Yes. I want her"

David's head spun around

"Excuse me?"

Brian paused the video, he put the remote onto the desk and stood up. As he walked around the desk a strange feeling came over David. Almost as though he knew exactly what was coming.

"That woman. I want her. You find her and bring her to me. Understood?"

David nodded

"Yes sir. Perfectly understood"

The search had taken the best part of the night and they could not find the croaspis. Jack was furious by the time they returned back to the Hub. He kicked the leg of his desk, his hands moving to grip his hair tightly. Ianto entered his office and looked at him, Jack turned, his eyes meeting Ianto's

"Nothing, we found nothing!"

Ianto looked to the ground before looking back to Jack

"Owen thinks he might have come up with something"

They made their way down to Owens Lab. Owen was stirring a clear liquid in a beaker. He looked towards Jack.

"I took the antidote from the stomach of the croaspis we found and mixed it with adrenaline and a few other little things. This should help Max until we find the real antidote. I can make some more of this and it should be enough for a couple of weeks. You need to know Jack that this isn't a permanent solution. We need to find the other croaspis"

Jack looked at Owen, his arms folded over his chest

"You think I don't know that Owen"

Gwen, Ianto and Tosh looked at Jack and then Owen. They had never seen Jack so wound up before. The atmosphere around the lab thickened, no-one knew what to say. Jack took the beaker and headed back to Max. When he entered the room he was relieved to see her sitting up.

"Jack. I know that this is hard for you. But don't take it out on your team. Please"

Jack held his head in his hands for a few brief seconds before looking at Max

"I have to find the thing that did this and help you…I'm not sure why but I do"

Max smiled softly

"I know Jack, I know. But you know as well as I do that we can't save everybody. No matter what has happened in the past"

He looked at her, a small smile appearing on his own lips

"Even through all this you can still smile. You always could, no matter what the situation you could always go through it without getting worried or down"

Max chuckled softly

"Yeah well, you know how it is Jack. Look on the bright side and all that. In all seriousness though, I'll take that solution Owen created. I need to be back up on my feet to find these girls. More could have been taken by now and they are here. I traced them, they came through the rift-"

"Nothing gets through the rift without Torchwood knowing about it"

Max raised her eyebrow

"Still so confident in yourself huh? Jack they came out here. It could be that there is a cloak put over their point of entry so that no-one can detect them. Meaning…"

Jack leaned back

"Meaning. That whoever is doing this has the money for that sort of technology"

Max nodded

"We have to find these girls Jack. Who knows what could be done to them"

Jack looked straight at Max

"You already know exactly why these girls are being brought here"

"I try not to think about it" her voice trailed off.

Jack moved his hand to hers and held it slowly

"We'll find them Max, and we'll stop them"


	5. Age of Innocence Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Max had taken to solution that Owen had created. Two hours had passed and Max was finally able to get out of the bed. She had showered and dressed in jeans and a shirt that Jack had collected for her. Gwen, Owen, Ianto, Tosh and Jack were in the Boardroom when she entered. Her hair was still damp from the shower, the colour had returned to her cheeks. Jack grinned when he saw her, the others looked at her. Max looked towards Owen

"Thanks for the solution Owen. I owe you one"

They noted her American accent, similar to Jacks. Owen smiled

"It was nothing really. Just a little idea of mine"

Max chuckled

"Don't be so modest, you came through for me and I'll repay you someday"

Jack shook his head

"Yeah. The same way that you repaid me when I saved your ass huh?"

Max grinned

"I said someday didn't I? I just haven't had the chance to repay you yet"

Gwen jumped in with her own question

"Why are you here?"

Max turned to Gwen, she took a breath and looked at Jack who signaled her to go on. Max explained about the Lillayean and how she suspected they were being brought through the rift for sexual purposes.

"What I'm not sure about is how they are getting them through the rift without you guys knowing".

Tosh spoke up

"There is a possibility that they are using some sort of device to cloak the rift and that way we can't see it's being opened and something is being brought through"

Max nodded

"Exactly"

Owen leaned forward, his hands clasped in front of him

"With all due respect, but what exactly is it that you do?"

Max's gaze turned to Owen, her eyes meeting his for a few brief moments

"Let's just say that I'm someone this family has turned to to find their daughter and bring her back safely"

"Back to where?"

Max folded her arms, Jack sat back and let Max handle the questions, he knew she could handle herself against Owen

"Home. I think these girls deserve to be taken from whatever it is they are being put through, and if it's ok with you Jack I would like Torchwoods help"

Jack grinned, Max already knew the answer to that question but he was surprised at how good it felt for her to ask

"Of course, you have the entire resources of Torchwood at your disposal"

There was a strange tension in the room. Max could feel it and so could Jack. The impression Jack was getting was that his team were not as quick to trust Max as he was. However he had noticed Ianto seemed a lot calmer around Max than he had been before.

Tosh listened as Owen gave Max his version of the third degree. She had some questions herself however she intended to keep them until a more appropriate time. The stern realisation that once more they were in a situation in which a part of Jacks past had come back and they were in the dark. Normally it was something you could get used to, but when it came to facing life and death situations. Having a commanding officer you knew practically nothing about was a little disconcerting for Tosh, and the rest of the team. They had gone through the same thoughts when Jack had returned the last time. Not knowing where he had been and only being given little tid bits of information was infuriating. Not only that, now they were putting their trust into someone they did not know and someone who was taking them into an unknown situation. It appeared that Max knew little or nothing about the ones responsible for the kidnapping of these strange girls. Tosh watched as Max sat down in an empty chair and began briefing them on what she knew.

"Lillayeans are very proud of their daughters, and their sons. However the race is very pure, especially the females. You could say it has an almost magical feel to it. The women dress in white, the males treat them with the utmost respect. When it comes to the mating of Lillayeans, the males are chosen by the females. It is believed that a Matriarch has the best eye when it comes to choosing a mate for their daughter, grand-daughter and so on. For them to be taken and used in this manner is highly disrespectful. Not only that, Lillayeans have incredible mental powers. They can control the mind of almost any race in the universe and beyond-"

"So why aren't they using their capabilities to free themselves?"

Everyone turned and looked to Owen, no doubt having been thinking the same thing.

"They can't. They can only use their strength if given permission, it has to be a verbal permission before they will even consider using it"

Owen leaned back in the chair

"That's what happens when you let women take control"

Max looked at him

"Anyway. The most important thing is that we establish exactly who is behind this and deal with it as soon as possible. The sooner we figure this out, the better it'll be for these girls"

As Jack leaned back in his chair and looked at Max. His mind went back to when they had first met. The times they had spent together, he smiled as the memories drifted back. The sickening feeling in his stomach brought the truth to a cruel reality. If they didn't find the croaspis, Max was as good as dead. How long did she have? Could she live on the solution Owen had created forever? The questions sped their way through his brain, each one sending a feeling or terror through him.

David had finally found Cameron in the sitting room of Brian Fontaines penthouse. He had the video tape in his hand. Cameron watched as David put the tape into the recorder, as he pressed play he moved back to sit on the edge of the black leather sofa. Cameron put his glass down and looked at the screen.

"What's going on?"

David pressed play on the remote, the recording of the girls came up on the screen. Cameron smirked and leaned forward

"Stunning ain't they?"

David said nothing as he slowed the video down

"Fontaine wants this girl"

Cameron frowned slowly

"What do you mean? Which one? He could have any one he wants"

David shook his head, Cameron was really the thickest man he had ever met.

"No, he wants the red head behind his girls"

Cameron moved closer to the TV, he squinted his eyes looking at her

"I see what he means. Who is she?"

David shrugged his shoulders softly. If he knew that, there would not be a problem. The fact that they knew nothing about this girl was going to prove difficult in locating her. David considered his options, there was something he could try, however, it would take time and it could very well prove to be a pointless exercise. He moved over to the cabinet and opened it. Removing the tapes he tossed the remote to Cameron

"We have work to do".


	6. Age of Innocence Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Brian Fontaine enjoyed his luxurious lifestyle. His business mind had ensured that he lived a live beyond what would be deemed comfortable for a normal person. The tailor made suits and good food made up a very small piece of what his life meant. Sometimes he wondered if he was far too arrogant for his own good. He expected everyone to be at his whim and no one refused Brian Fontaine. The girl who was lying in front of him now was not comfortable. Her arms were chained above her head, her legs spread and tethered to each of the bottom bed posts. A soft whimper escaped her gagged mouth, a shiver made its way down Brian's spine. The sound of a woman whimpering was like oxygen to him. He craved it, no matter what the circumstance, whether the woman wanted to be with him, he always requested that they whimper. His sexual needs meant that most of the whimpering was in fact real. He had yet to find a woman who put up with his need for dominance and enjoyment of pain. One could go so far to say that he was an out and out sadist. Generally those who slept with him did not find out until the deed was being done. He was like an angler fish. Using his money and reputation to lure in his victim, he would promise her the world. Ensuring she took the bait, he would take her to his bed where he would perform horrendous sexual acts on her. She would be left without feeling in her body, shame would overcome her when the true nature of what had happened to her finally sank in. The woman laying in front of him now had not been charmed. She had been escorted through the Rift and worked for him. She was the vision of perfection; her natural blond hair shimmered in the light. Her skin soft, a slight tan on it. Just the right colour that it looked natural and not like some of the women Brian had encountered. As he shed his tie, a sense of urgency overcame him. He had to satisfy himself. He practically tore off his shirt, several of the buttons popping off and landing with a click onto the wooden floor of the bedroom. Sensing what was coming, the woman's eyes widened and she struggled against the binds that held her. The sheer look of terror on her face caused Brian's immediate arousal. He could not take it anymore, in seconds he was on top of her, his suit and underwear having been removed. He thrust down into her with such force tears stung her eyes. The scent of sweat and blood entered her nostrils, he was not bleeding, which meant she was. Panic rose inside her, the pain was unbearable. She closed her eyes, colours danced in front of them. Brian was oblivious, he thrust harder and faster, his arms positioned at either side of her shoulders. His eyes were closed, the woman beneath him was no longer blond. Her hair was red, her blue eyes stared back at him, sheer pleasure held within them. He groaned loudly, unable to contain himself. The thought of having the red head under him was deeply arousing, he could not wait until she was actually under him and he was using her for his every sexual need. He would never let her go, always keeping her for his own personal desire. He grit his teeth and shook slightly as he came, sweat glistening his body. He opened his eyes and looked down at the girl, her eyes were red from crying, strangled sobs escaped the gag she wore. He pushed off her and walked over to the bathroom. A long hot shower was now what he needed. The woman could wait, she was not going anywhere. He glanced back, the ivory sheets of his bed now a canvas, the ivory background against the blood. He smirked softly. It could possibly have been his best work. With a low deep chuckle he walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower. The woman would have to be dealt with. She was of no use now. She would now fear men and in his business that was a definite no no. Brian had every faith that she would be dealt with accordingly. 

Tosh had shown Max to one of the computers and she was now perched at the desk clicking through various documents that Jack had kindly downloaded for her. They contained Torchwoods files on the Lillayean. She had spent many weeks with the family of the young woman she was searching for, however there could be something in this information that could prove useful. So far, what she had found was everything she already knew. The impersonal way that Torchwood spoke about races and species was a little disturbing to her. It was set out as facts and figures, charts and tables were displayed as she flicked through. Tosh was on her own computer, she had checked the data of the Rift over the past months and already several discrepancies had turned up. There were already over fifteen occurrences where the Rift had been used and nothing recorded. As she went through the dates, a feeling of anger and failure filled her. She had worked hard on the software that monitored the Rift. To have someone completely ruin her work and use the Rift in such a degrading made her feel dirty. Gwen had taken on the responsibility of checking the police records to see if there had been any attacks of women with a similar description to the women Max was searching for. So far, her search had come up with nothing. Owen was in the autopsy room finishing off the autopsy on the croaspis. The information they had already was all he could get. They needed to find the live one in order to help Max. The one on his table had provided enough of the antidote to make more solution but Owen didn't know how long Max would be able to use it before it would no longer work. It was a chance they had to take. Ianto was preparing the coffee. His mind wandering to the obvious relationship that Jack and Max seemed to share. He could see it in Jacks eyes when he spoke about her, although he would not admit it, Jack Harkness cared a lot about Max. His thoughts were disrupted by Gwen who appeared from the terminal she had been working at. 

"I have just had a report brought in. A body has been found. Seems the victim had been sexually assaulted before being dumped"

Jack appeared at his office door

"Ok, let's go. Max you come with me. Ianto, Gwen, Tosh and Owen you guys take the SUV. Max and I will meet you guys there"

The team looked at each other, confused. They rarely went separate ways to a crime scene. Ianto took the keys from his pocket and headed outside, the others following.

Jack watched as the others left. Max moved from behind the computer and looked up at him. He walked down the stairs towards her, Max never took her eyes from his, he looked as good as ever. His military coat swept back as he moved down the stairs. He walked over to her, he stopped so close that she could feel his breath. She closed her eyes, an old feeling creeping up from within her. The time they had spent together, it was so long ago yet it felt like yesterday. She looked up at him, his eyes had changed. Something different burned within them, wisdom that looked out of place. He spoke softly

"Whatever we find out there, I want to be sure you won't blame yourself. Max. Look at me"

The soft demand of his voice opened her eyes

"Promise me you won't blame yourself"

She said nothing, unable to take her eyes off his. His hand reached up to cup her cheek, he needed her to promise him. He needed to know that she would be ok, even though he wasn't sure himself.

"Max, say it"

"I promise"

Jack let his fingers trace over her cheek, old feelings that had been buried for so long were returning. He had kissed her before because he had to, he wanted to. It was only a matter of time before he kissed her again, they both knew it. Max retreated, taking a calm step back

"We should go. The others will be wondering where we are"

Jack brought his hand back to his side, reaching into his pocket he removed a berretta nine millimeter from it, he handed it to her, handle first.

"You're one of us now".

Max took the gun, ensuring the safety was on she tucked it in her pants at the small of her back. Jack smirked

"Still no holster?"

Max shook her head, a look of mock distaste on her face

"Hell no"

They headed for the visitors entrance. They exited and headed for the crime scene, the sun had begun to set in Cardiff, and both of them knew they had a long night ahead. 


	7. Age of Innocence Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

During her time with Torchwood, Gwen Cooper was sure that nothing would surprise her. She was wrong. The sickening sight that lay before her now was causing the chunks to rise in her throat. The police had been their usual selves, grudgingly handing the crime scene over to Torchwood. When they had entered the tent, none of them expected what lay before them now. The young woman was lying on her back, a sheer white robe covering her petit body was discoloured with the mud that surrounded her. Her blond hair was matted and covered in dirt and blood. The sheer horror thought was not found until the robe had been moved to the side. Gwen had been told by the crime scene techs that the body was in a bad state. They were right. Bruises were dotted around on her skin, ligature marks on her wrists and ankles indicated that she had been tied down. Owen wore white gloves as he checked the body, taking pictures as he went. He went from top to bottom, marking information down on a sheet as he went, recording information onto a digital recorder. Gwen, Tosh and Ianto stood around him, observing and listening. Ianto's mind was still on Jack and Max, Tosh was taking readings from the area to determine if Rift activity had occurred around the estimated time the body had been dumped.

Owen placed a mask over his face and moved to the lower part of the body. He placed his hands on the woman's thighs. The bruises and marks on her thighs indicated that someone had handled her toughly before hand, it was then he noticed the true horror.

"Oh my god…"

He leaned back on his hands, his eyes never leaving the woman. Gwen crouched down, her eyes widening. The womans vagina had been torn apart. She had not only been raped, someone had taken a knife or an equally sharp instrument and used it to feed their sick fantasy. Gwen took a few deep breaths, her hand covered her mouth as she straightened up and exited the tent. Ianto crouched down as Tosh avoided looking at the sight. Tosh went outside to check on Gwen, Ianto stood up and walked away from the tent, his arms folded. He looked up to see Jack and Max walking towards them

"Ianto, what's going on?"

Ianto looked at Jack, he could not find the words to described what he had just seen. Jack looked puzzled as he walked into the tent and joined Owen. Max was at his back, they both crouched down and for several seconds they could do nothing but stare.

"Holy god"

Jack looked to the ground, Max swallowed the rising bile in her throat

"She's a Lillayean. From the looks of her I'd say she's about eighteen years old. They stop ageing when they get to about thirty".

Max stood up and looked at Owen

"Is there anyway that we can trace something to whoever did this?"

Owen lifted his head, his expression spoke volumes. He could not get over the sheer brutality of what had been done

"I'll have to wait till I get her back to the Hub. The tests can be run there"

Jack stood up, fury filled him. It was Torchwoods job to protect the human race from aliens. Now it seemed that the aliens were needing protection from humans.

"Let's get her back ASAP. I want every test done, no stone unturned. We need to find this sick son of a bitch before he does this again"

Max had exited the tent and stood a few feet away. Ianto walked over and stood by her side

"Are you alright?"

Max was looking out at nothing. Her staring expression the sign of someone who had just had a severe reality check

"I've traveled all over the Universe Ianto and I've seen horrible things. But this? What is it about the human race that makes them think they have the right to treat others like this? To take these girls from their home and use them. But to do something like this, it's brutal"

Ianto knew she was releasing her agitation, although he was human he knew she was referring to the brutes who had committed the sickening act that lay behind them.

"The world is a very fickle thing Max. No two people are alike; I can assure you though that there are good people in the world"

She looked at him, the sincerity in his voice overwhelmed her

"You know something Ianto. Jack is very lucky to have someone like you on his side. You're a good man"

Ianto smiled

"I try"

Max shook her head

"You don't need to try Ianto. You're a natural"

With those words she turned and headed over to the tent. Jack emerged, a grim expression on his face

"I don't know what to say. I really don't. We'll find whoever did this and they will be accountable for it"

She knew he meant every word he said. Jack had a way of saying something and no matter what the circumstance you knew that he would come through for you. The night was growing colder. The black jacket Max wore over her tank top provided little shelter from the cold, however the cold was the last thing on her mind. The image of what she had seen had burned itself into her brain and refused to leave. She had a feeling that she would be seeing the sight for many years to come.

He stood several feet from the crime scene, the uniform disguising his true intentions well enough. So far no-one had questioned his presence. Being refused entry to the crime scene however had pissed him off. He wanted to see how bad the damage was before reporting back to Mr Fontaine. His hand shook slightly as it held the video camera, as he zoomed in his heart skipped a beat. It was her! The woman Mr Fontaine had ordered them to find. She was at the crime scene with a group of people who seemed to know what they were doing. The police around him were too busy asking potential witnesses questions they did not question him. He was well hidden within the sea of faces. His hand moved into his pocket removing his mobile phone. Flicking on the Bluetooth function, he spoke quietly

"Sir. We have a development. The girl, she is at the crime scene…yes sir. Immediately sir"

He removed the ear piece, putting it into his pocket. He had his orders and now he would follow them through. He took several more photos before heading to his car.

Upon their return to the Hub. The team got to work on getting as much information from the woman's body as they could. Owen had performed the autopsy, Tosh had accessed CCTV footage around the area where the body had been found and so far had found nothing.

Upon their return to the Hub, everyone got to work. Owen had taken the body to the autopsy room, Tosh had begun going over the CCTV footage in and around the area the body had been found. Gwen was checking for murders that had occurred where the injuries on the victim were the same as the body they had found. Ianto, Jack and Max were in Jacks office. Max had said nothing since they had left the scene, Jack and Ianto glanced at each other before Jack stood up, his hands in his pockets. Max did not move, she was in her own little world. Ianto threw a concerned look at Jack, their eyes met for a few brief seconds, so much being said between a look. Ianto pushed off the desk and waved his hand in front of Max face

"Max. Are you alright?"

She shook her head and looked at him

"huh? Sorry Ianto I was miles away"

Jack frowned as he looked down onto the Hub. Whoever was doing this had to be stopped, that much was evident. His worry was what else would happen. He did not have to wait long. He watched as Owen sprinted up the stairs, he burst into Jacks office, speaking between breaths.

"You're…not…going…to…believe this"

Jack removed his hands from his pockets, eager to hear what Owen had found. Owens face was pale, sweat glistening on his forhead. Jack spoke forcefully

"What is it?"

_Hey guys, sorry for the long wait. I've been busy with work and everything else. Please review this and let me know what you think._

_Lex_


	8. Age of Innocence Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Owen took several breaths, all eyes were on him.

"Owen for gods sake just tell us what you found?!"

Owen took a step back at the tone of Jacks voice, Jack in turn took a step back

"I'm sorry…Owen please?"

Owen looked straight at him

"She had a child, the Lillayean. She…she had a child and it was taken out of her. That's what the trauma was, someone or something ripped her baby from her".

The silence was deafening, Max leaned onto the table, a sudden weight bearing down on her. Ianto stared wide eyed at Owen, his mind trying to contemplate what Owen had just said. Jacks expression seemed to remain the same. The steely determination ever present as he glanced down at the Hub. Gwen sat with her hand covering her mouth, unable to comprehend who could do such a monstrous thing. The background sound of Tosh typing had stopped, she was now looking to the floor, her eyes wide. Max pushed herself away from the table, she headed for the exit of the Hub saying nothing. Jack watched her as she went, he could only imagine what was going through her mind right now. She had been charged with finding these women, and not only was one of them dead, but a horrible thing had been done in the process. The sound of the doors opening filled the Hub, Jack looked at Owen

"Finish the autopsy. Tosh keep looking through the CCTV. Gwen if the police have anything similar to this on their records. Ianto, can you look online and see if any pictures are turning up of women who look similar to the Lillayean. She definitely had sex before she died and I don't think it was consensual or legal for that matter"

Ianto nodded and walked over standing next to Jack

"Do you think Max will be ok?"

Jack shook his head

"I doubt it. She's probably feeling like she's failed. I'm gonna go talk to her"

Ianto nodded as Jack exited the Hub. They all went about their assignments. Each one determined to find the people who had did this.

Max stood at the railing overlooking the bay. The cool night air whipped by her, she looked into the water. Her reflection stared back at her, for some reason she found it hard to look at herself. Before she had never had a problem and yet now she could not bring herself to stare at her reflection. She had failed, a Lillayean had died and her child had been taken. Was the child still alive. That question was the one that was currently plaguing her mind. So many things had happened since her arrival and now it seemed everything was getting worse.

"Amazing view isn't it?"

Jacks voice came from behind her, he stood next to her, leaning down onto the railing. His eyes looking out over the bay. Max nodded

"Yeah it is. I can see why you hang around here"

Jack looked at her

"How many times have we been in a situation where humans are the ones we need to stop?"

Max shrugged her shoulders

"You know aswell as I do that the Time Agency always had to deal with the humans getting a hold of futuristic technology. Do you think this is what we're dealing with here? Humans using them? But why? What possible reason…wait, that's it"

Jack looked at her, he knew it was only a matter of time.

"You figured it out didn't you?"

Max looked at him

"Lillayean children mature at an extraordinary rate. Within six months they are fertile and ready to produce young of their own. That's the beauty of the species, they don't have to wait too long before the woman can breed".

Jack frowned

"Fair enough. But why do they want the Lillayean in the first place. What would they want the children for?"

She glanced out onto the Bay before looking back at Jack

"If my knowledge of humans is correct. Lillayean women would be very pleasurable in their eyes. They are what you could call a perfect catch for a human male"

It was as though a bolt of lightning hit him in the head. His eyes widened slightly as Max words sunk in and it all became clear.

"They're whoring them out?"

Max shrugged

"Come on. Beautiful women, not willing to put up a fight. If they continue to have Lillayean producing young Jack, they have their own women who will do anything they are asked"

Jack grinned, his eyes falling onto Max'

"Genius. You haven't changed a bit"

He wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly. Max held onto him as though her life depended on it.

He had lost his mate and he could smell the poison rushing through the female's body. He could smell his mates poison running through her veins. The scent of his mate comforted him, although he would never see her again. She was lost, taken by the humans. Humans, a race who thought they could take anything they wanted without consequences. He watched from the shadows, watched the female and the male talk. He could smell the fear in her, the determination in him. They had received a shock, something had happened that had changed them. Something had happened to the female also, she was not weak as she should be. By his reckoning, she should be close to death, yet she was alive and reasonably strong. A strange feeling came over him as he watched them speak. Admiration for the female and how fear and heartache was gripping her. She was hiding her true feelings from the male. Why would she do such a thing? Were mates not supposed to share their feelings and express their emotions to one another? That is how the Croaspis functioned. Mates were for life and shared everything. Now he was doomed to travel the universe alone. His mate was dead, but he would ensure that his mates death was not in vain.

Ryder stood before Mr Fontaine, who was watching the footage he had captured on the video camera at the crime scene. Fontaine could not believe his luck. The woman was in Cardiff, she was working with Torchwood! This was excellent, yet not so at the same time. This meant he would have to go through Torchwood in order to get the girl. Of course, certain measures could be taken and Torchwood would not know what was going on. However he was a gambling man who enjoyed taking risks. The prize on offer was well worth the risk.

"Now then Mr Ryder. It would seem that your target has been sighted and it is up to you to bring her in. You and McIvoy caused this mess now it is up to you to get rid of it"

Ryder was in no position to protest. Although McIvoy had been the one to kill the girl, whatever he did, Ryder was also responsible for. Ryder merely nodded his head and turned on his heel. He had a job to do and he would be damned if McIvoy was going to ruin it all for him.

_Hey guys. Sorry for the wait on the update. I've been sick and busy, not a great combination. Please let me know what you think of this chapter. Lex. _


	9. Age of Innocence Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Tosh had gone through all the CCTV footage from the scene where the body had been found. She saw nothing of importance, there was a blind spot which meant a section could not be seen no matter which way the camera moved. She watched up until the point where the Torchwood SUV had come into view and then stopped. They had seen nothing at the scene so watching the footage would be a waste of time. Jack's voice boomed through the Hub.

"Ok guys listen up. Max might just have figured out what the Lillayean are being used for"

He looked at Max who shook her head, Jack nodded before turning back to the others

"The theory is that whoever is taking the Lillayean may be using them as prostitutes. As for the child, when Lillayean breed, their children mature at an extraordinary rate"

A look of disgust spread over Owen's face

"Jack this is sick. Who the hell would do something like this?"

Jack looked directly at Owen

"After some of the stuff we've seen, should we really be surprised what humans would do?"

Owen shrugged his shoulders, Torchwood were scavengers, protectors of the human race, yet now they were having to protect an alien race from humans. Max stood up, she stood at Jack's side looking at them

"You're right Owen. This is sick. But what we have to do is find whoever is doing this and deal with them. This has been going on for a while now, I've spoken to the families of these women and they are heartbroken. A peaceful race has been torn apart because of lust and greed"

Jack continued

"I don't think that it is your basic pimp whoring these women out. My suspicion is that whoever it is has money. He is privately advertising and when the women are sent out they are taken and picked up from the location. Possibly through a private escort service"

Tosh looked at Max and then to Jack

"Then how did one of the girls get pregnant. Surely they would want to be inconspicuous?"

Jack nodded in agreement with her

"Yeah. But I don't think the customers will want someone there with them while they are with the women. These men are alone, they can do whatever they want and then they threaten the women if they tell exactly what had happened. Lillayean are very submissive. They will do as they are told no matter what it is. They're fearing for their life, that can make someone do anything, if they believe they are going to die"

Everyone looked at Jack. They trusted him to get them through this, some more than others. The trust was there. Max shook her head slightly, the serum was beginning to wear off. She turned heading for Jack's office. Jack watched her leave, he knew better than to go after her. Although they had been through so much together, she was a proud woman, taking the serum was a sign of weakness for her and him watching that wouldn't be good for her at the moment.

"Ok. We have limited time here. Let's get to work"

Max used the injection gun that Owen had given her. Small droplets of blood forming around the circular shape on her arm. She wiped it clean before placing the injection gun back onto the table. She was having to take the serum more regularly. The poison was becoming immune to the serum. She had a few days if that to find the Croaspis. Two situations that she had to take care of. Then there was Jack. What could she do about him? She wouldn't deny that the old feelings were there. She was almost sure that his old feelings for her were still there. Ianto and Jack though, she liked Ianto and she could see that he cared a lot for Jack. She couldn't hurt Ianto. But how long could she keep her true feelings for Jack masked? Someone clearing their throat disturbed her thoughts. She looked up seeing Ianto at the door

"Are you alright?"

She nodded softly

"Yeah. Just, taking the serum"

Ianto closed the door behind him

"We will find the Croaspis. I know we will"

Max smiled, he obviously knew that she and Jack had a past. Yet he was still being nice to her.

"I know you will Ianto. You seem like someone who would never give up on any task set"

A soft beeping sound filled the room. Ianto looked puzzled, Max looked down at her belt. She lifted out a small phone, flipping it open she put it to her ear.

"Hello. Yes…are you sure…how? Is she hurt? Alright"

She put the phone back into her pocket

"We have a development"

She moved out of Jack's office. Ianto was behind her. Jack turned looking at her

"What is it?"

Max looked at the others and then Jack

"The Lillayean matriarch was just in touch. She said that one of the Lillayean has escaped and wants me to meet her. She said she can see a large building, the matriarch said it was the stadium. She is heading there now"

Jack was already moving for the door, Max was at his side. The rest of the team were moving quickly for the door. Their guns and equipment with them.

She stood inside the building. Her body shivering from the cold. She had been told to stay where she was and wait silently. She had broken her vow. Tears of guilt and terror slid slowly down her cheeks. She had no choice, her kind could not go on living the horror they had been. Their children would be suffering, one Lillayean had already died and others were being treated terribly. As she tried to justify her actions she was aware that she was being watched. Her arms slid around her stomach, her knees bent as she crouched down and sobbed silently. It was a case of waiting now. Waiting for her saviour to arrive. The sound of screeching tyres was heard outside. She stood up looking towards the door. Please, let this be the end to her nightmare. She could hear sounds from outside, doors opening, a faint voice giving orders. The sound of foot steps coming closer and closer. Only a few more minutes to go and she would be safe, she would not have to continue living the horror.

_Hey Guys. I'm feeling better and have been working hard hence the late update. Please keep reviewing as it keeps me writing. Lex._


	10. Age of Innocence Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Jack moved out of the SUV, Max was close behind him. Tosh and Owen exited Owen's car. Gwen and Ianto had been in the back of the SUV. They stood at the doors of the stadium looking around.

"Ok. From what Max has been told the Lillayean is inside. As soon as we go in we split up and find her. Max you stick with me ok?"

Max nodded. She didn't have the strength to argue with him. They moved inside, Gwen and Ianto went right, Tosh and Owen to the left. Jack and Max headed towards the main field.

"You realise what she broke in order to contact the matriarch?"

Jack nodded, his gun was aimed ahead as he moved through the stadium.

"She could have done it at anytime. Something must have happened to make her break that. Any ideas?"

Max shrugged her shoulders, she could hazard a few guesses, but who knew what could cause this?

"You would think that one of the girls dying and her child being taken would warrant such action. But it's something else"

"Like what?"

Jack had stopped and was looking at her, she looked at him

"I don't know Jack. I really don't know"

The moved forward, side by side. Their guns aimed ahead.

Tosh and Owen were in the stands. Tosh looked around

"How do you think Jack knows her?"

Owen shrugged, he moved around the stand, his eyes scanning the area

"No idea. You know Jack, he's got more secrets than Torchwood has"

Tosh could not deny that. It was true that they knew practically nothing about Jack and yet they trusted him to lead them. His reaction to Max's arrival had been interesting to say the least. He was protective of her, they clearly had a history together.

"Do you believe her theory about the Lillayean?"

Owen looked to Tosh

"It makes sense. The woman we found was very beautiful, not that she was more beautiful than you, that's impossible. Tosh blushed, Owen smirked and continued

"But if they are as submissive as Jack say's then whoever is doing this has the perfect slave"

Tosh sighed softly

"We stand for protecting the human race. Who protects the aliens from the humans?"

Owen stopped and turned to Tosh

"Hey. We do our job, and we do it well. We'll help the Lillayean and they'll be safe"

Tosh nodded and they headed towards the rest of the stands.

Ryder and McIvoy watched as the team split and moved into different sections of the Stadium. The Lillayean was in position and all they had to do was wait. The woman was with the leader. They had both gone off together which could present a problem. They had to separate them and quickly. Mr Fontaine would not accept failure, too much had gone wrong already. Ryder signaled to McIvoy to stay where he was. Ryder moved towards the basement of the Stadium where the Lillayean was waiting. She saw him and cowered back from him. She crouched down, her arms covering herself. Her white gown was caked in dirt, her blond hair was straggly and greasy. Barefoot, cold and alone she looked up at Ryder, her eyes pleading with him not to hurt her. He had no intention of doing so. He would complete this mission to the best of his abilities, hurting the girl did not come into it. His loyalty was to Mr Fontaine. He heard footsteps coming down the stairs, he turned heading into one of the adjacent corners. He looked at the Lillayean and shook his head towards her. She understood exactly what had to be done.

Jack and Max walked into the basement. Max looked at the Lillayean and moved towards her. Jack was close behind her, the Lillayean leaped back at the sight of Jack. Max stopped and turned to Jack

"Jack…She's scared of you"

Jack nodded. He stopped where he was and allowed Max to go towards her. The Lillayean continued to move back even though Jack stood where he was. Max looked to the Lillayean and then to Jack

"Jack. Can you wait outside till I talk to her? She's terrified of you, I think it's because your male"

Jack was hesitant. But he knew that the only way Max could get the Lillayean to listen was to back off a little. He nodded

"Be careful"

He turned heading out of the basement. He stood outside the door, listening intently to what was going on inside the room.

Max moved over to the Lillayean. This time she did not back away. She was a mess. Max smiled softly at her

"I've been sent by the matriarch. She's sent me to help you"

The Lillayean nodded

"I know. I'm so sorry"

Max shook her head, the Lillayean was trembling as she looked at Max. Her wide eyes staring at Max. Max watched as the Lillayean's eyes glistened, tears slowly trickled down her cheeks.

"Shh it's ok. You have nothing to be sorry for"

Max's voice was calm and gentle, the Lillayean had been through enough.

"What is your name?"

"Leana. My name is Leana"

Max nodded at the her

"Leana. My name's Max"

Leana clutched onto Max's hand. She squeezed it tightly

"You have to understand! I had no choice. They made me do it!"

Max held her hand tightly, the girl was babbling. Max guessed that the Leana had used the telepathic powers and this was what she was apologising for.

"Listen to me. You're not in trouble. I promise"

The girl shook her head violently

"no! Please you don't understand. I didn't have a choice, I don't have a choice"

A realisation fell upon Max, she looked at Leana

"What do you mean you don't have a choice?"

Tears flowed freely down Leana's face, her gaze moved from Max to behind her. Max saw a shadow fall upon them. The movement was so quick. An arm was wrapped around Max's throat, she was hauled up to her feet. Whoever had a hold of her was strong. Their grip was tight against her throat. Leana screamed, the sound filling the basement.

_Hey Guys. Figured I'd make up for the long wait by adding another chapter. Hope you enjoy it. Can't wait to read the reviews. Lex._


	11. Age of Innocence Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Jack burst through the door in an instant. His revolver aimed directly towards Max and her captor. He had her in a choke hold. His arm firmly around her neck. Jack's heart was beating faster than he could have imagined. Max looked at him, her eyes wide, he had to get her out of there. Max spoke, her voice ragged due to the hold he had on her

"Leana…go to Jack. Jack get her out of here!"

Jack leveled his aim to the males head

"Let her go!"

Ryder smirked and shook his head

"As if. You think I'm stupid enough to let her go and let you shoot me?"

"Shoot you? I'll do something a lot worse to you if you hurt her" Jack growled.

Ryder's grip tightened on Max's neck.

"She's coming with me. They both are!"

Max struggled against his grip

"N-No. S-swap…me for Leana"

Ryder raised his eyebrow, she was willing to trade herself for the girl. This had not come into thought. Mr Fontaine had not accounted for this. What would he want more? The girl, or the whore? Jack was shaking his head

"Not a chance. There is a team in here. You won't make it two feet out the door!"

You try to take me and I kill her. A soft click filled the room, Ryder brought his gun up. The muzzle brushing against Max's forhead. The tables had turned, Leana looked from Jack to Max. Max looked at her

"Go with Jack. He won't hurt you. I swear. Go with him!"

It was chaotic. Leana could hear their thoughts and it was killing her. The male, Jack his name was, he wanted Max safe. He wanted her with him, in so many ways. Ryder, the one who had hurt her. He was not willing to kill Max, he wanted her. The one who had started all this, the one who had abused her, and other Lillayean who were being held at that awful place. Max's voice filled her head, she turned, Max's lips were not moving, yet she could hear her.

"Go with Jack. He'll know what to do and you'll be safe. Go with him"

Max was looking straight at her. The tension was building in the room. The door burst open. Gwen, Ianto, Owen and Tosh burst in, their guns automatically aiming towards Max and Ryder.

"Easy!" Jack snapped.

Leana walked over to Jack

"Let them go…"

Jack looked at Leana as though she were crazy, his gun staying on Ryder

"Not a chance"

"Jack listen to her. Take her. Get her back to her family!"

Ryder tightened his grip on her neck. He pushed the gun muzzle further into the side of her head.

"I'd advise you to back off…Jack!" Ryder spat.

Jack's grip tightened on his revolver. Tosh and Owen stood at his right, their guns also on Max and Ryder. Gwen and Ianto were slightly forward and to Jack's left, their gun's raised.

Max was beginning to panic. There were too many guns in this scenario and Leana would be caught in the middle of it. She couldn't let another Lillayean die, she wouldn't.

"Jack. Listen to me. Get her back to the matriarch. You know what you have to do"

Jack shook his head; he knew the other factors that Ryder didn't. Max was on borrowed time with the Croaspis poison.

"Max. You can't"

"Jack what the hell are we doing here?"

Gwen glanced to Jack, she was ready to fire but none of them could get a shot.

"Jack take her and go!"

Max's voice thundered through Jack's head. He began lowering his gun, the others looked at him

"Jack…what are you doing?"

Owen looked from Jack to Max and back again. They all kept their guns raised. Jack's spoke quietly

"Let them go…"

Leana was taken aside by Gwen who had lowered her gun and moved forward. Ianto, Tosh and Owen lowered their guns and watched as Ryder headed for the back door of the basement.

Jack looked at Max, their eyes met. It was as though everything were moving in slow motion. An understanding was met with the look they shared. Jack would find her, no matter what it took.

He waited in the darkness. Watching the events unfold. The female was being held against her will. Her mate did not fight back though, why? How could he just stand there and let her be taken. He would certainly have never let his mate be taken against her will. She was becoming weaker, his mates poison was beginning to take effect. Their serum was not working on her now. She had a day if she was lucky. He took a step back. This was beginning to get interesting in so many ways. He admired the woman for her willingness to put herself in danger to save the Lillayean. The male on the other hand was worried, his heart was beating fast. He decided that he would follow the female. He was beginning to like her, possibly enough to save her life and administer the antidote.

Brian Fontaine had just finished dealing with one of his girls. She lay on the bed, exhausted, bleeding and bruised. She sobbed quietly where she lay, she had been his toy for the evening. He had taken his anger out on her for not getting what he wanted. He wanted the other woman. He would have her and what fun he would have. He threw a towel at the girl on the bed

"Get out"

She crawled off the bed, pain soaring through her body. She stood up and limped towards the door. As she exited, he was sitting on his bed. He looked towards the door, he hoped Ryder had succeeded in his mission. If not, heads would certainly roll. Brian Fontaine always got his way. Even if she resisted he had ways of making her submit. His various methods of torture and submission would be fun. He could not wait. He reached over for his phone as it had begun to ring. Putting it to his ear he grinned as he heard Ryder on the other end

"Excellent. Well done Ryder. Bring her straight to my study when you arrive".

He put the phone down. He grinned as he stood up, he had got his woman, she would be arriving soon which meant he had little time to prepare himself for the fun ahead.

_Hey Guys. Here is another chapter for you. I figured that I owed you big time seeing as it had taken me so long to update. _

_Ink Fairy_

_Adjovi_

_Hotflower901_

_Bbmcowgirl_

_Sky-pirate325_

_Vixengreen_

_EmSyd_

_WritingSecret55_

_Thank you so so much for your reviews. I really appreciate them. Thank you for your well wishes when I was sick also. They were so nice. _

_Please keep reviewing as it keeps me writing. Let me know what you think of the story so far. _


	12. Age of Innocence Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Max had been put into the front of the car. Her hands were tied painfully behind her back. Whoever this guy was, he did not like to play games. He was determined to do his job and somehow that involved taking Max somewhere. He had said nothing since taking her from Jack and the others. The one thing her captor did not know was that she was dying. Without the serum Owen had created she would not survive more than a day. If she fought, she could maybe manage a day and a half. Otherwise, she had little time left. She could only hope that wherever she was taken, the events that would finally lead to her death would be free from anguish. She had seen what had been done to the Lillayean, the pain she had gone through. Max wasn't afraid of dying, but what had happened to that Lillayean had scared her. Her child had been ripped out of her and she had died. Her arms were beginning to ache behind her back. She was lying in the back of the car, sweat trickled down her forehead. She felt drained, as though all her energy had gone. She looked towards the front of the car, the guy was driving quickly through the streets. She could only hope that Jack would find her soon.

The atmosphere in the Hub was almost unbearable. They had been there for ten minutes and already the team could not bear it. Jack had told them to do everything possible. Tosh was checking CCTV footage around the stadium area so they cold find the car that Max had been taken in. Owen was looking at the evidence collected from the dead Lillayean in the hope that it could tell them who was behind the whole situation. Gwen was cross referencing the description of the guy who had taken Max with what she could find on the police database. It was all too slow for Jack. He was sitting in his office, hands clasped together in front of him and perched on his desk. He was looking at his desk, not focusing on anything. All he could see was Max's eyes as she was taken. She had given her life to save the Lillayean who Ianto was questioning. He had to find her, as he sat in his office he made a silent vow that if Max died, he was kill whoever was responsible. He had killed before and he would again if he had to.

Leana had been given fresh clothes to put on. She was nervous, she had never been in such clothes before. They were covering her whole body. Jeans, she believed they were called and a shirt that covered her arms. Ianto sat at the desk in front of her, he lifted his head from the clip board positioned in front of him.

"Do you have any idea where they kept you?"

Leana shook her head. She was so scared. What had been done to her was unspeakable, she could never speak of it again let alone consider where it took place. She shook her head quickly. Ianto made a note, lifted the clip board before putting it down onto the desk.

"I understand that terrible things have been done to you. But we need your help. Our friend needs your help don't you understand that she gave herself for you?"

Leana narrowed her eyes at him. She would never be able to forget it.

"I do not know where we were kept. We were being constantly moved around and never in one place too long. We were taken to many different males, and…and made to do terrible things!"

Tears trickled down her cheek. Could he not understand what she had been through? What had been done to her and her sisters who were still trapped.

"Listen. I understand that you have been through a lot. But Max is in danger and she could die unless we find her. Would you want her to go through what you did?"

Leane stood up, she glared at Ianto

"I would never want anyone to go through that! How can you suggest such a thing? I had no choice. They made me contact my matriarch in order to bring Max to him! He wants her. More than he wants any of us. We are merely a means of funding for him. Max is different. He wants her for himself"

Ianto leaned forward

"Who does?"

Leana shook her head

"We never knew his name. He was always careful that we did not hear it and that it was kept secret" she buried her head in her hands and began sobbing.

Ianto shook his head. Without a name they had no way of knowing where Max had been taken. Ianto stood up from the desk, he walked around it and put his hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry"

Gwen put her phone down. She picked up some papers and walked over to the centre of the Hub

"Jack!"

Jack emerged from his office quickly. He placed his arms on the banisters

"What have you got?"

Gwen put the papers on Tosh's desk

"Ok. The guy from the stadium is called David Ryder. He has got previous for GBH, assault and a lot of other pleasant things"

"Known associates?" Jack's voice came from above

Gwen nodded

"Yeah one guy. A Cameron McIvor. Now this is where it get's interesting. It seems that McIvor has connections with none other than Brian Fontaine"

"Shit" muttered Owen.

Tosh's eyes widened, she looked to Jack who stood with his hands on the railings. He said nothing. Ianto glanced over to Leana who was wiping tears from her eyes. Jack took a deep breath. He knew who Brian Fontaine was. There was not a person in Cardiff who did not know who he was. The fact that he was involved in this made the situation all the more sickening. He had the money to do anything.

"Ok. We don't have time to just show up at the door and issue a few threats. He won't fall for that…Ok. Here's what we are going to do. Tosh and Owen. You get onto looking for the Croaspis. Gwen and Ianto, you guys come with me".

Ianto looked up at Jack

"Where are we going?"

Jack looked at them. Determination set on his face. He would get Max back, no matter what it took

"We're going to pay a visit to Brian Fontaine".

_Hey Guys_

_Thanks so much for the reviews. You know I love to read them. Please keep them coming! _

_Lex_


	13. Age of Innocence Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The scent of aftershave and flowers hit her nostrils as she was taken through the hallways of the building. Max had no idea where she was and she was growing weaker by the minute. Her one solace of hope was that the Croaspis poison coursing through her body would kill her soon. Although she had no idea what this guy wanted with her, she knew it wasn't good. As a time agent she was trained to defend herself, she could handle herself in a fight. In her weakened state she was not so sure. Jack was looking for her, he would never let her down, he would find her.

"Move"

She was shoved towards a large wooden door. Straightening up she turned her head looking towards the guy. He narrowed his eyes, he took a hold of the handle and pushed the door open. As she was pushed into office her eyes scanned the area. The carpet was a deep red colour. The walls were wooden, the same shade as the door. Pictures decorated the walls, certificates surrounded by wooden frames. A large desk was situated in front of a large window that looked onto Cardiff. She could see the bay, car lights streaked through the city. People going home, people heading out for the evening. They were going about their lives unbeknownst to the horror that was going on in their city. A large black leather chair was positioned behind the desk. The occupier was facing the window looking out onto the bay. The chair slowly began to swivel round.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you"

Brian Fonatine was not all that Max was expecting. She wasn't really sure what she had been expecting though. He looked at her, his eyes looking up and down her body

"You are even more attractive in the flesh"

"You got that right Mr Fontaine"

Cameron McIvor entered through the door that Max had just been brought through. He smirked as he walked up to her side, he ran his finger up her arm. Max pulled her arm away, Ryder tightened his grip on her arm and pulled her tight to his side.

"Easy Ryder. I don't want my prize possession being damaged-"

"I'm not your possession"

Fontaine raised his eyebrow

"On the contrary. You are mine now. It doesn't matter what you try to do. You are going to do everything I tell you to. Do you understand that?"

Max smirked and looked at him, she straightened her posture

"No"

Fonatine chuckled slowly

"Well. I suppose Mr Ryder and Mr McIvor will have to make you understand"

McIvor rubbed his hands together

"Yes sir".

Max could hear her heart beating in her ears. The room began spinning, she could hear McIvor's voice, it sounded as though it were far away. She felt her legs buckle beneath her as darkness overtook her.

Jack pulled the SUV up outside Brian Fontaine's residence. Gwen and Ianto exited and glanced at one another. Jack got out the SUV and strode over to the door. He moved purposefully, standing tall and strong. Jack pressed the doorbell, Gwen and Ianto stood behind him waiting. A woman in a black suit opened the door, she looked at them. Before she could say anything, Jack pushed passed her and walked into the house

"We're looking for Brian Fontaine"

The woman followed Jack

"Excuse me Sir. You have no right to go in there. Sir!"

Jack turned and looked at the woman. He towered over her

"You listen to me. You tell Brian Fontaine that Torchwood is here to speak to him"

The woman hesitated. She looked at Ianto and Gwen. Jack grabbed onto her arm

"NOW!"

She wrenched her arm away and ran up the stairs. Gwen grabbed Jack's arm

"Jack what the hell are you playin at?!"

Jack tore his arm from her grip

"He has her Gwen and we're going to find her!"

Ianto stepped forward

"Jack. Please. Calm down"

Jack looked at Ianto. He took a deep breath and looked around.

"You saw what happened to them. The same thing could be happening to her right now. I can't bear the thought of something like that happening to her. I can't".

Gwen put her hands on Jack's, she held them tightly

"I know Jack. But this isn't the way to do it. Now listen to me. When he gets in here, let me do the talking alright?"

Jack nodded. He then blew out a long breath.

"Can I help you?"

Brian Fontaine stood behind them. He was wearing a tailor made dark blue pin stripe suit. His hair was combed back, he smiled at them. Gwen stepped forward

"Mr Fontaine. Gwen Cooper. I have reason to believe that you may be involved in a kidnapping. Would you mind if we had a look around your residence?"

Fontaine chuckled

"Well yes I would mind Miss Cooper. You have no authority to search my property"

Jack stepped forward. He stood two inches from Brian Fontaine

"Torchwood doesn't need authority Brian. Now where is she?"

Fontaine smiled at Jack. A sick smug smile

"Who are you talking about Mr?"

"Captain Jack Harkness"

"Well Captain. I am sorry to tell you but whoever you are looking for is not here. However I do hope that you find her"

Jack grabbed the collar of Fontaine's shirt with both hands. He pulled him close getting in his face

"I'm really not a man you want to be on the wrong side of. You either tell me where she is or I will tear this place apart looking for her!"

Gwen stepped forward and grabbed Jack, Ianto helped her haul him back from Fontaine. Fontaine straightened up his shirt and pointed his finger at them

"I suggest you get control of him. Now get out of my house!"

He turned and walked away. Gwen pulled Jack to the door. Ianto pulled open the door, Jack pulled away from Gwen's grasp. His heart was beating so hard he could hear it in his ears. Gwen yelled at Jack

"Get a hold of yourself Jack! You're not going to help Max like this!"

Jack stepped forward to Gwen

"Stay the hell out of this Gwen. You have no idea what I'm feeling right now! Back the hell off!"

Ianto and Gwen watched him go into the SUV and start the engine. They walked over and got inside. Jack started the engine, he put his foot down. The SUV's tyres spun heavily as the car sped out of the drive.

_Hey Guys_

_Here is another Chapter for you. Hope you like it. _

_Hotflower901 and Sky-Pirate325 thank you so much for the reviews._

_Keep the reviews coming. _

_Lex_


	14. Age of Innocence Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Max's head was a wave of nausea, anxiousness and downright fear. She rarely felt fear. She could feel the chunks rising in her throat, she couldn't move. Her wrists were strapped down, the table felt cold on her back. Her eyes stung as the sweat slowly seeped into them. Muffled voices sounded near her, she turned her head. The blurred shape of two figures were near her, leaning towards one another speaking quietly. Max shifted on the table, the voices stopped and the two people speaking turned looking towards her.

"Finally. I was beginning to think that you were never going to wake"

Fontaine, the voice was Fontaine's. The other voice spoke, a female, she didn't recognise.

"I'm not sure how long it'll last Brian. I have no idea what is wrong with her. It's alien. That much I know. But beyond that I have no idea"

Brian Fontaine walked over to the table, he placed his hand on Max's forhead

"It disappointed me when you collapsed. You missed you friends. That American is very aggressive and he is certainly keen to get you back"

Max thought of Jack. What had he said? Where were the Lillayean?

"Where are they?"

Brian Fontaine frowned

"Oh they're near. Can't have them wandering around. You never know who they might bump into"

Max narrowed her eyes, she could not stand the thought of what he had been making them do and she felt powerless to stop it. The woman stepped forward

"Her blood work should be back in the next hour or so. Hopefully that should tell us what we're dealing with"

"What would I do without you Kathrine?"

The woman smiled, she shrugged lightly

"Oh I don't know?"

Brian walked over to her, he put his hand under Katherine's chin. Lifting her head lightly he leaned his head down kissing her. Katherine's heart skipped several beats, she wanted Brian Fontaine. She had wanted him since the first moment she ever laid eyes on him. Yes they had shared a bed together, but Katherine knew what he was like. This woman laying on the table before her was his latest need. His latest want. He wanted her and the only reason he was being so nice was because Katherine was the only person who could help her.

Jack had never felt so helpless before. Fontaine held all the cards, he had Max and if Jack had pushed his way through, he could have got her killed. There was a time when Jack had tried to kill Max. She had been hunting him, she was the one thing that stood between him and freedom. But then something catastrophic happened. When it had come down to the kill, neither of them could do it. He remembered it so vividly. They had stood mere feet from one another. Ready to kill, then something happened. Jack had been looking into her eyes, he could see the life they held. The fire within her heart that kept her going. Every last piece of it, he could see in her eyes. Something changed in those seconds they had been ready to kill each other. The atmosphere deepened, their weapons were discarded. In that split second they had changed their futures. So much had happened since then. When they had separated, Jack had no idea that Max would come back into his life. Seeing the strong Max before, and now the weaker Max that he had been presented with because of the Croaspis. He wanted nothing more than to storm into Fontaine's mansion and take her back, but Fontaine held all the cards. He had Max and from the sounds of it, he played a dirty game. Jack feared an infiltration could lead to Max getting hurt or worse, that he could not bear. His thoughts were broken by Ianto who had entered his office

"Jack?"

Jack looked up, his feelings for Ianto were strong. But with Max back into the picture, there was too much on his mind right now.

"Yeah…" his voice was strained. Ianto knew this and moved over, he wrapped his arms around Jack. All the respect Ianto had for Jack was present in that moment, their hug spoke a thousand words. They were friends, lovers, confidants.

"You've been faced with much worse than this. I know you will get her back Jack. No matter what it takes you will get her back"

Jack leaned back and looked up at Ianto, the fear evident in his eyes. Ianto rarely saw fear when it came to Jack. It made him uneasy, more than he cared to mention.

"He could be doing anything to her Ianto. The things he is capable of. We need to get her back"

Ianto nodded

"And we will. Leana said that she might be able to remember where Fontaine's penthouse flat is. She said she is sure that is where he will take Max. He likes his privacy. Gwen, Owen and Tosh are ready and waiting. We're going to find Max and bring her back"

Pride swelled in his heart. His team had come through for him once again. Torchwood was going to come through this. Max was going to come through this. Jack stood up, pulling his shoulders back he nodded to Ianto.

"Thank you"

Ianto smiled

"It's my pleasure. Always is"

Katherine Benson had been a Doctor for over thirteen years. She had came top of her class in medical school and excelled at every subject she had taken on. This however, was one of the toughest she had to deal with. It was not a medical puzzle she was dealing with. It was a matter of the heart, something she was clueless on so many levels. She wanted Brian, yet the only way she could stay on his good side was to find out what was making the other woman ill. It was definitely alien, the blood work had returned showing that the woman was infected with some sort of alien poison. All she had to do now was run it through her scanner and she would have the answer soon enough. The question was, should she hold off and let the woman die, or should she heal her and then lose Brian to yet another one of his infatuations. If she let the woman die, no doubt Brian would blame her, however if she said that there was no way of healing her. She may just get away with it. Call it a crime of passion so-to-speak. As she glanced over at the girl on her table, she shook her head. How had she become this? She had become a Doctor to help people. Now here she was, a patient in front of her who she was considering killing. It did not matter if she had a knife and stabbed her, letting her die would ultimately make her a murderer. The oath she had taken as a Doctor, the first oath was "Do no harm". She was breaking these. What would happen once the woman was back to full strength? Katherine knew exactly what would happen. She would be taken by Brian and he would enjoy her. He would do everything he wanted with her, enjoy her. She would be his toy, his escape from business. He would fuck her every way he wanted and then when she could take no more, he would do it again. Katherine wanted to be the one, she wanted nothing more than for Brian to take her into her arms and make her his. As she looked at the woman laying before her, she was envious. She had perfect curves, an athletic tone to her. Her long hair was tied back, Katherine knew what she would see in the mirror. She was an attractive woman for her age. That wasn't enough however, not for Brian. He favoured looks. He had taken so many Lillayean and used them for his own end. He would do the same to this woman. But his infatuation drove Katherine wild with jealousy. A simple injection and she would be out of her misery and out of Brian's life. Pathing the way for Katherine to make Brian truly happy.

_Hey guys_

_Sorry for the long wait. I was on holiday in London and loved it. I have a question for you though. I am working on the next Torchwood story and have two options. _

_1 – The story of how Jack and Max came to be._

_2 – A story based a year or so after this one. _

_Please let me know what you think. Thank you so much for the awesome reviews. I love reading them. _

_Hotflower901 – Thanks so much for the suggestion. It is appreciated._

_Sky-pirate – Oh Jack will kick his butt. Believe me_

_Aviarianna O Lorien – Thank you for your input. I am somewhat impetuous in that I love getting the chapter up so you guys can read. I will try to proof read it better in future lol. I am so glad that you are enjoying this story. _

_Can't wait to read more of your reviews. _

_Lex. _


	15. Age of Innocence Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Getting into the house had been the easy part. His instincts had taken him throughout the mission. Of course, now the hard part began. He had to locate the female and preferably without being seen. He had seen enough to know that death was wrong for her. Although his mate had been the one to poison her, he had to undo it. His species was not naturally vicious. His mate had been acting on instinct and it had gotten her killed. It had been an honorable kill, she had died fighting which was what their species relished. At first his blood had raged through is veins, a desperate need to kill those who had taken his mate. However, given what he had witnessed, that hatred had turned to admiration when he had seen the connection between the male and female. They had shared much in the past. She had feelings she hid from him, and him for her. Why keep such feelings buried deep within? This was the part he did not understand. Not only would he cure her, he wanted answers. He wanted to know why they were hiding from one another. His species worked in such a way that if two Croaspis were compatible then they mated. Simple and stress free. These two were tip toeing around one another and it exhausted him watching them. Sniffing the air he turned his head, the female was to the right. The poison was throughout her blood stream, along with the mixture she had been taking. She was so close to death now. There was another scent, another female. In perfect health, however excreting pheromones, human pheromones. She wanted a male, she needed a male. The one she wanted was on the other side of the house. If he was careful, he could get into the female and heal her before anyone else knew. Making his way right he moved through a sequence of large doors, each one decorated with a crest. The letters "BF" contained within the crest, an eagle and horse on either side. Ivy entwined around the letters, around the horses neck and held within the eagles talons. The poisoned female's scent was getting closer to him. Lifting his head he sniffed two times before pushing another door opened. One more door and he would be there. Footsteps disturbed his thoughts, he ducked against the wall moving behind a large statue, he watched as a well dressed female exited the room and went back the way he had just come. There was no-one in the room with the female now. His chance had come. Silently he moved towards the door, lifting his clawed hand he pushed the door open and went inside.

The Doctor had left. Max couldn't feel comfortable at all. The nausea was worsening and her body was beginning to weaken considerably. No sooner had the door closed, it opened again. How long had passed? Had she blacked out again? She moved her head towards the door, her vision blurred. It wasn't the Doctor, she hadn't returned. The hazy silhouette looked all too familiar to her. Her eyes widened as she began shifting on the table, trying desperately to get free. No, it couldn't be. They didn't return to finish the job. They waited until their poison did the work. How could this be? It moved closer to her, seconds passed then she felt cold on her arm. There was no forced grip, no pain. The hand moved up her arm slowly, the raging fever battling with her body disappearing as the cold hand moved slowly and purposefully up her arm. Max's mind calmed as a voice entered her head

"Rest. Do not fight. I am not here to hurt you"

The voice was male, calming, different. She stopped moving and closed her eyes. The Croaspis claws slid across her neck, a soft tingling sensation following them. Memories flooded back to her. Jack. Their first meeting, how they had aimed their guns at one another. Both ready to fire in a heartbeat but unable to.

"Why are you not mated to him?"

The voice sounded puzzled, yet forceful for an answer. She frowned slightly, her eyes remaining closed

"What do you mean?"

She felt the Croaspis breath on her ear, his lips hovering over her ear.

"Why are you two not mated. You feel for each other yet you both fight it. I want to know why?"

Max shifted slightly, uncomfortable at the question. The Croaspis hissed lightly

"Why do you not mate with him?"

She spoke softly

"It's not as easy as that. There are…complications. Feelings that have to be taken into account. There is a history between us. A lot that you wouldn't understand and it would take so long to explain-"

"Then show me"

She opened her eyes

"How?"

He leaned closer into her ear, his tongue clicking against his tongue as he did so.

"Memory. Remember it. I can see everything in your mind. I am not going to hurt you. I give you my word. Please. I must understand this. Show me the history"

In a split second, Max's mind went into overdrive, the Croaspis was given access to her deepest thoughts. He lay his hand on her head to sooth her, her thoughts were moving so quickly that a timeline was impossible.

"Relax. Breath. In…out"

Max did as he asked, the nausea was leaving her. She breathed as the Croaspis had told her to. In and out, in and out. Slowly, deeply. Her thoughts arranged themselves and she began remembering.

At first her thoughts were so muddled. So quick. He could not make any sense of them. As she began to relax they slowed down. He saw a male in front of her, not the one from before. A figure of authority, he handed her a picture. It was of her male. Her heart and mind had been set on the mission. The surroundings were military. The technology she carried was well out of this time. Whatever had happened had taken place in the future. Many years from now, far away from this planet. The scene jumped. She was now on top of a building, her male down below. She was observing him through binoculars. She had him in her sights and she was positive she would take him out. As the scene changed once more, she was positioned in a busy street. People walking passed her. She was looking around, subtly searching for her target. Seconds passed and suddenly her body froze. She felt something pushed into the small of her back

"Don't move. You know I can kill you and make it look like an accident"

She turned her head slightly, the Croaspis saw her male standing behind her. His great coat flowing out behind him in the slight breeze.

"You've been good at following me and not being seen. I don't like being watched. It doesn't take a genius to work out who sent you".

Her male leaned down to her ear, the warm sensation creeping up her body was unmistakable. She was aroused by his closeness. Something had come over her that she had not expected. The male also felt it, the grip on his weapon loosened as he brought his mouth to her ear

"Did they send you to kill me. Or bring me in?"

The Croaspis could feel everything they were feeling. The male brought his hand to her neck, taking her hair in his hand he moved it back.

"Well?"

She was completely still, her eyes closed for a brief second as his hand touched the side of her neck

"You already know why I've been sent just as you know who sent me. This is just a game to you"

The Croaspis watched as the males hand moved over her neck massaging it slowly. He was toying with her, but at the same time he was intrigued by her. She wasn't scared however, she was becoming aroused the more the male touched her. The original plan she had had gone out of the window. She was now becoming more and more attracted to him. The male removed the weapon and holstered it. The revolver sat nicely at his hip. Using his now free hand he wrapped it around her stomach. He let his hand glide over her flat stomach, his palm flat against her toned stomach. She leaned her head back so it was nestled against his shoulder. The male lowered his mouth to her ear once more

"This shouldn't be happening"

Her voice was raspy

"I know. I don't understand"

They were both confused, the Croaspis could sense it. They could not understand why these feelings had suddenly come over them. He had seen enough. For now. He would ensure to go back into her head again and get the rest of the story. But at this point, someone was coming and he had to get to work quickly. He brought his tongue to the woman's neck. She tasted so good to him. He could feel his antidote secreting through her skin. Soon, she would be back to full health and maybe then he would get the full story.

_Hey Guys_

_Thanks so much for the awesome reviews. _

_Hotflower901 – Thanks for the suggestion. I have been working on the ideas and think I have decided. You'll see shortly._

_Bbmcowgirl – I like your idea. Glad you are enjoying the story._

_Well here is another chapter. Please let me know what you think of this one. I think it's a pretty good chapter. Look forward to reading the reviews._

_Lex_


	16. Age of Innocence Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Night fell on Cardiff. Jack stood up from his desk. Ianto had gone down to tell Leana that he would be down shortly. At least the Lillayean was trying, which was more than he had done back at Fontaine's mansion. He had just walked away, but he knew that if threatened, Fontaine could kill Max. Jack couldn't live with that. If Max died because of him…He sighed and headed out of the office. His hands nestled in his pockets he headed for the stairs. Owen's voice cut through the Hub

"I don't believe it. Jack! Look…outside!"

Jack's eyes instinctively moved to the screens that held the camera images. Outside the Hub stood the Croaspis. It was not moving, just standing, gazing up at the camera. Jack's hand moved to his revolver holstered at his hip, his hand stopped inches from the butt of the weapon.

"Stay here. No-one else comes out there"

The look on his face signified to the group to obey his order. Jack moved for the door of the Hub and headed outside. The team's eyes moved to the camera.

Jack emerged from the entrance to the Hub. The Croaspis was waiting for him. Jack knew they did not speak and preferred telepathy as a form of communication. Jack spoke with his mind to the Croaspis

"What are you doing here?"

The Croaspis looked at him, it's eyes moving up and down his body. He was a strong male, it took a step closer to Jack. Jack did not move, he stood deadly still.

"I healed your female"

Jack frowned, his female? Did he mean?

"You healed Max?"

The Croaspis head tilted to the side

"Is that what you call her? Max? Your mate?"

Jack shook his head slowly

"She is not my mate. But yes, her name is Max"

The Croaspis crouched down slightly. He did not understand. From what he had seen in Max's mind, they had been mates. How could such feelings have changed so easily?

"I do not understand. I saw in her mind. The first time you met, the arousal you both felt at the feel of each others bodies. The thoughts going through your minds at that exact moment you touched. How can such a thing be and then forgotten so easily?"

Jack smiled slightly at the memory he had been given. The first time he had met Max in the busy Square of Delta. She had been tracking him for days, Jack had clocked her and snuck up on her. He had every intention of scaring her into going back to her boss. But the second he touched her something happened between them. Even now, Jack could not figure out what it was. He and Max had shared a connection and neither of them could figure out why. The Croaspis was clearly confused by the nature of their relationship. To him, they chose a mate and it was for life. He did not understand that relationships were complicated. Max had begun showing him the history of theirs, why had she stopped?  
"There was someone coming. I had to heal her and leave"

Jack nodded, he was thankful that Max had been healed. However it was replaced with worry as to what Fontaine had in mind for her.

"He wants her as a mate"

Jack's head shot up, his eyes meeting the Croaspis

"What?!"

The Croaspis took a step back, the male was becoming angered. He hissed lightly

"The man who took her. He wants to mate with her"

Jack looked around quickly, he needed to find her

"Where is she? Can you show me where she is?"

The Croaspis did not want to get involved in such matters, but he could sense how much this male wanted to know where Max was.

"Yes"

Jack was instantly presented with an image. It was Fontaine's mansion. He had been there mere hours before and had walked away. Now they would return. Jack was not going to walk away again. Jack looked at the Croaspis

"Thank you. Thank you so much and please. Accept my apologies for the death of your mate"

The Croaspis bowed his head

"Of course. She died in battle. She died with honour. Ensure you do what is best for you and your mate"

Jack was about to argue that Max was not his mate, but the Croaspis was gone. He turned heading back inside the Hub.

Katherine could not understand it. The woman was now fit and well. Her heart rate was back to normal, her fever had gone and she was the textbook picture of health. She had checked and rechecked her machines. Whatever the woman had been suffering from was now gone. There was no trace of it. Katherine slammed her hand onto the counter. Now she had to come up with a new plan. She had been set to let the woman die, allowing Brian to think that there had been nothing she could do. Max looked towards her

"Let me go and then you won't have to worry about it"

Katherine chuckled, a low deep chuckle filled with resentment

"You really think it is that easy? That I can just let you go and then he will take me into his arms and love me the way I want him to?"

Max shook her head

"No. But how can you justify what he has done? Making those Lillayean slaves to his customers. Forcing them to have sex with god knows how many men. Taking their children from them!"

Katherine shook her head slowly

"I know! Do you think I want to be a part of this?"

"Why are you!?"

Katherine spun around, she marched over to the table where Max was tied down

"Because I love him! And he doesn't love me! Do you have any idea how much that hurts!"

Max looked straight at her, Katherine's eyes expressed genuine sorrow

"More than you know. More than you know"

Katherine's face softened. She nodded softly

"He would kill me if I let you go. I took care of them as best I could. The one who…I didn't know it had happened until Brian had told me. Max looked at her, the woman was telling the truth. She could see the glistening of tears in the Doctors eyes as she spoke. She truly loved Brian Fontaine and it must have broken her heart to watch him want another woman.

"Listen to me. What he is doing is wrong. You know that. When he is caught, do you think he will defend you? Help you? No. You will go down with him"

Katherine stepped back from the table. She had no choice. Years ago, she had sold her soul to Brian Fontaine in the hope he would take it and keep it safe. Instead he had tortured it over and over with each new conquest. Of course she still did his work for him. She still kept his secrets and would continue to do so. Katherine turned as the door opened. Brian Fontaine entered the room, he looked at Katherine and then to Max. He wore a black pin stripe suit that was tailored. His shoes polished immaculately. He smiled to Katherine before setting his eyes back on Max

"Welcome back my dear".

_Hey Guys_

_I'm on a roll with the writing at the moment. Seems I just can't keep away from my computer._

_Hope you guys are enjoying the story._

_Lex_


	17. Age of Innocence Chapter 17

Chapter 17

There was a part of Max that wished the Croaspis had left her to die. At least that way she would not be staring in the face of a man whom she wanted to murder. As far as Max was concerned, killing was not the answer. Although for Fontaine she would gladly make an exception. He walked over to Katherine and smiled

"Well done Katherine. You certainly have not lost your touch"

Katherine smiled, although she could not take credit for Max's current condition. It was a mystery to her. Fontaine picked up the clipboard containing Max's stats and looked at it for a few moments before placing it back down. He stood at Max's left side, his hand moving down to stroke her arm lightly. Max flinched, she did not want him touching her. Fontaine smirked softly

"It is no use fighting my dear. You are my property now and I believe that some training is in order. You will learn to act civilly and do as you are told. You will enjoy it when I touch you and beg me to continue" he stated matter-of-factly.

Max let out a low chuckle. She looked at him, her tone strong and authoritive

"There is nothing on this earth that will make me beg for your touch. Nor will I act civilly while in your company. You disgust me and I will remind you of that every single day".

Fontaine shook his head slowly in mocked disappointment. He signalled to his man standing at the door who opened it. Max recognised the male who walked in, Ryder his name was. He had something in his arms. Max eyes widened. Fontaine had pulled his trump card on her and she was powerless to resist it. Ryder moved the small blanket aside from the bundle he was holding to reveal the Lillayean young that had been ripped from the Lillayean they had found. The young let out a sigh of contentment. If only the young knew the predicament it was in. Max looked from the young to Fontaine who gave a small shrug.

"It is up to you Max. You know my terms and should you refuse, well. I have to admit that Ryder is not good with children. Far from it and I may just have to let him take care of the little one".

Max could hear her heart beating in her ears. Her breathing increased slightly. She could not let the young be harmed. She had done nothing wrong, she was barely weeks old. Fontaine noted the posture change in Max. Gone was the arrogant determination to be replaced with a posture of defeat. He had won. His prize was won, and now all he had to do was claim it. That. He was looking forward to. Max glanced to Ryder. He seemed a little disappointed. This concerned her. It appeared that the man had wanted free reign with the child. Fontaine signalled to Katherine to release the straps that held Max

"I do not think she will give us any trouble now my dear".

Katherine's expression was obvious as she released Max. She was in love with Fontaine and here she was releasing a woman he wanted more however did not want him in return. It was a cruel situation for all involved.

Gwen glanced to Jack as he drove the SUV towards Fontaine's mansion. She was concerned about their leader's mentality on the situation. It seemed that Jack was determined to get Max back no matter what the cost. Even losing his temper at the drop of a hat and she was worried it would put the rest of the team in danger. Ianto sat in the passenger seat in silence. He had not said much since Jack had spoken to the Croaspis and told them they were going back to Fontaine's mansion. Tosh had the blueprints to the mansion and had pinpointed where Fontaine's room was in the house. Jack suspected, given what the Croaspis had told him that Fontaine would have Max taken to his room as soon as possible. Jack's fists tightened around the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white, his foot moving down on the accelerator of the SUV. Fontaine was a masochist and the thought of what he would do to Max tore Jack apart. Max would be back to full health now and Fontaine would not waste any time in claiming her as his property. Jack noted the silence of his team. They were his friends, but they did not know his past. None of them knew exactly what had happened between himself and Max. Ianto had been told a little, Jack figured that he owed him that much. But to tell him the full story would be pointless. What happened in the past was between him and Max and nothing would ever change that.

Normally he did not involve himself with the business of humans. They were primitive, confusing creatures who seemed to think one thing yet do the complete opposite. Their actions confused and annoyed him. However, when he had connected with the female, he saw a completely different side to them. She was dedicated to helping the Lillayean, even giving herself up for the life of one of them. This act of selflessness had impressed him enough to heal her. Now he could feel what she was being put through and the agony she was suffering at the moment was unthinkable. She was tied and could not move. The whip slashing at her back, drawing blood. He could feel the blood dripping down her back. The warmth of it as it trickled down. The pain that pushed through her body was unbearable. Yet, she did not scream. Her strength allowing her to hold in the pain and not give the male the satisfaction. The Croaspis had planned to leave earth and go to another place. The rift made for and excellent gateway and he never knew where he may end up. But, leaving the female to suffer? He could not. Rather than heading for the rift, he turned, heading back towards the mansion where he had been mere hours before. As he approached, he noted the increased security. It seemed that the male was taking no chances in losing the female he was holding prisoner. Lifting his head, he sniffed the air. He could smell the blood of the female. They seemed to be in a room on the first floor at the back of the mansion. As he approached the back of the mansion, he could hear the lashes of the whip along with the occasional grunt of the male. The Croaspis head tilted to the side slightly when he did not hear another lash. He crouched down slowly before leaping up onto the balcony of the room they were in. The window was covered by a thin curtain. He could easily see through. The female was tied to one of the bed posts. Her blood soaked back facing the male. Her shirt had been ripped at the back by the whip. The cuts were deep. She must have been whipped at least fifty times. She was breathing heavily, her eyes closed tightly. She was bracing herself for more pain. The determination in her mind was great. She was showing no weakness to this male. The male shed his sweat stained shirt. Letting it fall to the floor, he walked over to a walk in closet on the far side of the room. The huge four poster bed was situated against the right wall, the black silk sheets giving it a sinister look. The male removed a small leather case from the closet. He crossed the room to the bed before placing the case onto the carpeted floor. Slowly, he moved over to the female. He slid his hands around her from behind. His hands sliding across her stomach. The Croaspis could hear every word he spoke.

"Ahhh Maxine. Ever since I saw you with the Lillayean. I knew I had to have you, and now I do".

He pushed himself against her, groaning softly. Lifting his hand, he moved her hair away from her right cheek. He pressed his lips to her cheek softly. His tongue crept forward licking her cheek softly. The blood from her back staining his chest. Max moved her head forward. In an instant, she swung it back, the sickening crack of Fontaine's nose breaking filling the room. Fontaine stumbled back, his hands moving to cover his face

"You bitch! You broke my nose!".

When he removed his hands from his face, blood stained them. Max said nothing, she remained tied to the bedpost. The Croaspis watched as the male reached down to the case on the floor. Fontaine removed the gag from the case and moved over to Max. Blood trickled down his chin onto the floor. He brought the gag round and put it in Max's mouth. He pulled her head back roughly, snarling into her ear

"You'll regret that Maxine. You will scream for me. You'll be begging me by the time I'm finished with you!".

Fontaine untied Max from the bedpost, ensuring her hands were still tied behind her back. He threw her onto the bed. Fontaine stalked towards her like an animal. The Croaspis had seen enough. The window smashed as he jumped through. Fontaine yelled and jumped back. Max looked up, seeing the Croaspis she looked confused. The Croaspis clicked softly towards Max, it's eyes them moved to Fontaine who screamed

"RYDER! MCIVOY!".

The Croaspis moved towards Max, helping her stand. He sliced the rope that bound her hands. Max looked at him before turning towards the door. The door burst open, McIvoy and Ryder moved in quickly, guns in their hands. Max moved as quickly as she could. She had the element of surprise on both of them given that she was mere feet from the door. Bringing her palms up, she connected with their noses and hit hard. Their heads whipped back, the guns falling from their grasp. Max moved as quickly as she could, taking both guns, she moved for the door and turned. One muzzle pointed at Fontaine, the other at Ryder and McIvoy. The Croaspis clicked softly, the female was running on total adrenaline. She could no longer feel much of the pain from the deep wounds on her back. The scent of blood was thick in the air. The Croaspis stayed close to her, in case she fell.

Katherine had heard the commotion from her workstation. She quickly made her way upstairs, she could hear her heart beating in her ears. Panic setting in that something had happened to Brian. As she entered the hallway leading to Brian's room, she saw Max emerge with something that clearly was not human. Katherine ducked into an open room on her left and waited. She could hear Max and the creature moving up the hallway towards her. Brian, Ryder and McIvoy emerged from the room

"There is nowhere for you to go. You're trapped!" Brian sneered

Max growled softly

"I'm the one holding the guns here. Where are the Lillayean?

Max's voice was controlled, calm, there was no use in panicking. Her main concern was getting the Lillayean to safety and back to their home. Brian chuckled

"They're safe. Now I believe the tables have turned Maxine. You want the Lillayean and I have them"

Max took another step back, she heard the shuffling to her right. Katherine slammed into her, knocking Max against the wall. Max heard the hiss of the Croaspis a second before Katherine kicked her abdomen. Max yelled to the Croaspis

"Go!"

The Croaspis had no choice, he was outnumbered and he knew Maxs mate was close. He turned and moved up the hallway with lightning speed. Ryder and McIvoy moved quickly, picking up their guns before hauling Max off the floor. Brian walked over to Katherine, sliding his arms around her waist

"Katherine…such good work darling"

Brian dipped his head and captured Katherine's in a passionate kiss. Maxs adrenaline rush had subsided and the pain from the whipping and her abdomen kicked in. She felt exhausted and her one chance at escape had cruelly been taken away from her. Brian looked at Max and narrowed his eyes

"Tie her up in my bedroom and find that thing!"

_Hey Guys!_

_I'm back lol. Been a really long time. But I really want to finish this one. Please review as you know I love hearing your input._

_Lex_


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